23 January, 2017

Yemen launches major offensive on Saudi bases

Yemeni army
soldiers, backed by fighters from Popular Committees, have launched
heavy missile and artillery attacks against several Saudi border
military bases, inflicting significant casualties and damage on them,
a report says.

According to
a report by Yemen’s Arabic-language al-Masirah television network,
the Yemeni forces on Sunday carried out a major offensive against
Tabat al-Hamrah, al-Qamamah, Qaem Zabid, al-Shabaka, al-Kers bases
and the strategic al-Ghavieh military camp, destroying or damaging
many armored vehicles and military equipment.

The surprise
attacks also killed and wounded dozens of Saudi troops, it further
said, adding that a number of senior Saudi military officials were
also slain in the offensive. The operation forced the remaining Saudi
troops to flee their bases, leave behind some burning arsenals and
taking refuge in the town of al-Khobe in the kingdom’s southwestern
province of Jizan.

The Yemeni
forces, however, managed to seize a considerable amount of weapons
from the bases during the attacks, which lasted from early morning to
the afternoon.

The Yemeni
forces also killed at least 14 Saudi mercenaries and injured 22 more
during a battle near the strategic Bab al-Mandab strait, in southwest
Yemen.